


Freefall

by JenniM777



Series: Keithtober 2019 [27]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Daredevil Keith, Hoverbikes, Keith keeps stealing things from Shiro, broganes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:41:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24876355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JenniM777/pseuds/JenniM777
Summary: Day 27 of Keithtober 2019 - HoverbikeKeith steals Shiro's hover bike.
Series: Keithtober 2019 [27]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1504211
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14





	Freefall

Keith rubs his sweaty palms against his jeans. His heart is beating an erratic rhythm at the nerves he’s feeling. He looks up for probably the twentieth time if not more and eyes the distance. There’s a narrow strip of land that falls off into a deep canyon like ditch that extends for about a thousand yards. It curves to the right and there it narrows even more between several large boulders. Past the outcropping of boulders is the edge of a cliff and the longest drop he’s ever seen in his life. Keith swallows hard and it takes everything in him not to turn his fourteen year old self and run back to Shiro’s apartment, but he’s pretty sure Shiro and Adam have noticed he’s missing along with the ‘borrowed’ hoverbike by now and he doesn’t have much time left. He pulls the goggles securely over his eyes and flips a switch on the hoverbike and feels it rumble to life. He makes a turn and retreats a few hundred feet further than where he was before. Just before he punches the accelerator he has the brief thought that if Shiro and Adam knew what he was about to do, they would kill him. Then he thinks, if he doesn’t pull this off there won’t be anything left for them to scrape off the desert floor.

Keith leans forward and pushes the bike as fast as it will go. His heart stops beating for several dangerous seconds when the hoverbike lists to the left barely staying on course and not dropping into that deep ditch. He regains his composure just enough to lean hard to the right and the hoverbike tilts almost completely on its side to fit between several boulders. He settles back in the center of the seat and adjusts his hold on the handles. The cliff’s edge is getting closer and closer and he knows he’s at the point of no return. He takes a deep breath and when the ground drops from beneath he pushes into a nose dive. The ground gets closer but he waits, too soon and there won’t be enough draft, not soon enough and he’ll be fodder for some desert vulture.

The handlebars are starting to vibrate but still Keith waits, not yet, patience yields focus. He feels as if he’ll tip right over as his hands start to sweat even more, but he doesn’t dare release them. For a brief second Keith thinks he’s missed his moment but then, just there, he feels it, the nose of the hoverbike starts to lift and Keith lets off on the accelerator and pulls hard to bring up the front end. He panics when there isn’t quite enough lift and feels the bottom scrape hard against the ground slamming him against the handlebars, dust flying in his mouth. The bike shudders violently as he has to stand and lean back almost completely against the seat. He’s jostled hard as the bike continues to scrape and bump along the desert ground and his teeth clack together. There’s a coppery tang of blood where he’s bitten his tongue just before he feels the weightlessness of the bike in the air again.

Keith slams on the brakes and slides hard finally coming to a stop facing the cliff that he just dove off of. He pushes the goggles back and lets out a shaky breath. He wipes his mouth and his hand comes back red from biting his tongue but even as terrifying as that was he can’t help the grin on his face. He did it.

Keith barely has the presence of mind to realize he’s in deep shit when he hears a Garrison patrol car rumble to a stop nearby. He turns to slide off the hoverbike but his legs have gone a bit weak and he hits the ground. Shiro lifts him up from under his arms to set him back on the bike gently pulling his chin down prompting his mouth to open and make sure all of his teeth are still present, and Adam is running hands along Keith’s arms and legs. They’re both giving him a talking to while also asking about his well-being. Keith is getting whip-lash from all the back and forth of their smothering to scolding act.

“What the hell were you thinking?”

“Are you hurt? Did you break any bones?”

  
“You could have been killed pulling a stunt like that.”

  
“You are grounded for six weeks, Keith.”

Keith jerks back and glares at Shiro and Adam, “Six weeks? You can’t do that!”

Shiro glares at Keith while Adam continues to check Keith for any unseen bumps or bruises, “Oh yes I can, and I will. You know better than to take the hoverbike out without me.”

Adam mumbles as he checks Keith’s head, “You’re too soft on him. He should be grounded through the end of summer.”

  
Keith sputters and pushes Adam’s hands away, “That’s almost three whole months! Have you lost your mind?”

Adam steps back and folds his arms. He doesn’t even flinch at the way Keith stares at him, “If it means keeping you safe, then yes, I’ve lost my mind.”

  
Before Keith and Adam can start yelling even more at each other, Shiro helps Keith off the hoverbike and takes the keys from him, “You get to ride back with Adam. We’ll discuss your punishment more at home.”

Keith’s legs are still wobbly as he and Adam make their way back to the car. Once he’s settled Adam slides into the driver’s seat. He gives Keith a quick once over and hands him a napkin to wipe his face before he puts the car in drive. He lets out a huff, “Ok spill it. How was it?”

Keith grins. Adam can deny it all he wants, but he and Keith both know he’s more of a pushover than Shiro. “It was so amazing Adam! It was almost like flying! I could feel when the hoverbike tried to lift out of the dive! I almost couldn’t pull up, I had to stand so far back and then it hit the ground but I got it to hit that draft and did you see me level out at the bottom?”

  
Adam grinned, “Yea, I saw you.”

Keith nodded, “Did Shiro see?”

  
Adam reached over and ruffled Keith’s hair, “Once he gets over the fact that he wants to kill you for scaring him like that, I think he’ll admit you did a pretty good job for your first time.”

  
Keith rambled on for a few more minutes and then got suspiciously quiet. Adam risked a quick glance over and noticed Keith’s head lolling against the window and he was fast asleep. He had hit an adrenaline crash and would probably sleep for a couple of hours.

Keith blinked slowly as he was lifted from the car. His voice was muffled as he buried his face into the neck of whoever was holding him, “Sh’ro?”

Shiro adjusted Keith and gave his back a soft pat, “Yea buddy, it’s me.”

Keith let out a small puff of breath, “I’m gonna fly in outer space one day. S’better than a hoverbike.”

“You got a long way to go before then.”

Keith lifted his head a bit and gave Shiro a sleepy grin, “We can go on missions together. I can’t wait.”

Shiro let out a soft laugh as Keith let his head fall back on Shiro’s shoulder, “I can’t wait either kiddo, but you’re still grounded.”


End file.
